"We went out, we talked to people. And now we stopped doing that. And what we have now... what's changed? Everything has changed."
— Olga
Mykolaiv, Ukraine
John —
So many people in Ukraine look back and divide their lives into two distinct sections. There's before the conflict — the lives they built in times of peace, safety, and stability. And there's what came after.
Millions of people have been displaced from their homes, including many who have been forced to leave Ukraine. Others have found ways to remain in their communities, staying close to family, friends, and loved ones.
As we mark one year since the conflict began, I wanted to share with you some stories of survival and resilience that have defined the last year.
Before the war, Olga worked in a gas turbine factory, and was active in a local folklore ensemble — singing and dancing at festivals and competitions. Olga has been able to remain in her village throughout the conflict, but her life has been upended. She lost her job, the ensemble dissipated, and Olga became separated from close members of her family.
The stress, uncertainty, and hardship of living through this long conflict have taken a toll on Olga, who is living with cancer. The IRC is providing Olga with cash assistance which she will use to buy medicine.
Despite all of these challenges, Olga continues to help others in her community. In the early days of the war, she cooked meals for Ukrainian soldiers. Now, she volunteers her time to help distribute food to people in her area.
Early in the conflict, Viktoria made the difficult decision to leave her home in western Ukraine behind, fleeing to Poland with her two children. Her oldest son, who is 19, stayed behind with Viktoria's parents. Like many families, they've now endured a long and distressing separation.
In Warsaw, Viktoria discovered a job where she finds meaning and purpose, working as an Information Center Associate at the POLIN Museum of the History of Polish Jews. This opportunity came through an IRC partnership with the Polish Center for International Aid. Together, we are helping connect Ukrainian refugees with jobs at the POLIN Museum, as well as other museums, cultural centers and schools.
As she thinks about her life today in Warsaw, Viktoria is grateful that her two younger sons, who have already been through so much, are able to return to school and have their basic needs met. She hopes they can fully heal from the trauma they have experienced.
Like millions of Ukrainians, Julia and her husband have been displaced by the war and forced to adjust to life in a new place. They left their home near the Russian border, resettling in Dnipro, Ukraine.
There, Julia has found purpose, a chance to serve others, and new ways to build the future she wants for herself and her family. She is currently working at the IRC women's center, teaching English to other women who have been displaced by war.
Programs like these provide opportunities to learn new skills, and can lead to job opportunities. For Julia, they also create space to help her students cope with the trauma of living through a war. She researches online for topics that might interest them, and she makes a concerted effort to incorporate humor and kindness into her lessons.
This is not the life Julia imagined for herself, not where she thought she would be a year ago before the conflict began. But she is making a difference, and being able to create meaningful change in other people's lives has also had a positive impact on her own.
The IRC launched our emergency response to the crisis in Ukraine one year ago, and thanks to the generosity of IRC supporters, we can continue to support those impacted by the conflict.
We are committed to working with our local partners in Ukraine, Poland, and beyond to help people like Olga, Viktoria, and Julia recover and rebuild their lives. We are committed to stay as long as we are needed.
Thank you for your ongoing commitment to this work.
— Hank
Hank Walter
Senior Officer, Donor Communications
International Rescue Committee
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!["[For] my kids, the most important thing [is] that they were welcomed in the school... It was very important that they are really taken care of, they are not hungry, and they can learn."](https://go.rescue.org/l/937243/2023-02-22/8rtzn/937243/1677095585KDH9oZzE/MMUS2302_Email_Ukraine_Anniversary_Storytelling_Cultivation_image2.png)
!["I also see that helping people is important. So it's important [in that] we also had a lesson when we talked about kindness. And I think that kindness, it's important because it is for our soul. So in this way we grow."](https://go.rescue.org/l/937243/2023-02-22/8rtzv/937243/16770956204rKhAOic/MMUS2302_Email_Ukraine_Anniversary_Storytelling_Cultivation_image3.png)